C.O.C.A. Times
Issue: 2002-March - Vol 2 Num 1 - Page 7
cially SEAMs. In England, John Dennison was
already building "Working Model" and "Set Scene"
SEAMs as early as 1875, and around 1880, George
Lee began a three-generation dynasty that made
SEAMs and various coin-ops, the legacy continuing
into the 1950s. Lee's famous SEAM creations
include "The Guillotine" and "The Haunted
House."
Automatic "gravity powered" machines are the
ultimate automatic machines. Technically not
SEAMs but ingenious none-the-less, they are a
smaller group of automatic coin-ops that utilized
gravity as the means to dispense a product or pay-
out. Examples of a few gravity coin trip vending
machines are the Jennings Mint Vender, the Gravity
Vender Co's Honey Breath Ball and Ball Gum
machines, plus the granddaddy of all coin-op
machines: The Holy Water Vending Machine! (The
weight of the six drachma coins opened a valve to
dispense water.) The "3 for 1" gambling machines,
such as the Jones and others, also utilized gravity
for automatic payouts. Gravity coin-op machines
are the simplest mechanisms ever made in coin-op
machines.
It's apparent that not all stored energy clockwork
motor machines were automatic delivery. My ter-
minology, for this type, called "SEMs," stores
enough energy for only one play and it is the buyer
who stores it and not the operator. The energy is
dissipated with each play and the coin does not trip
the automatic action. These types still have need
for "push, pull, turn, or crank" instructions.
Examples are the Baker Boy gumball vender,
Roovers Fortune Tellers, Mills floor model
Quartoscopes, Auto-Muto, Regina Hexaphone,
Edison and Autophone Phonographs, etc.
Strangely, a few SEAMs have "un-SEAM-ly" com-
panions that are "SEMs." A second version of the
Happy Jap Gum vender (several known) requires
the customer to tum a lever next to his mouth to
release the clockwork power. And there is also a
SEM version of the Birdies Gum vender called the
Singer Birdies ( one known) . It has a push knob on
the front to activate the clockwork motor after
depositing a penny. Both machines look basically
In the Penny Arcade category, the Cail-O-Scope
was very popular and produced in the tens of thou-
sands. At $40 each it was the least expensive drop
card machine in the Caille line (pronounced Cail,
Roger!).
Amazingly, the oldest known American coin-op
machines following the 1839 Penny Papers Tobacco
vending machine, happens to be a group of clock-
work SEAMs. A description appears in Scientific
American Magazine, March 3, 1877 covering inter-
esting developments at the Centennial Exhibition in
Philadelphia. Entitled "A Machine Salesman," it
reads:
"Among the ingenious devices for gathering
small change from visitors to the Centennial were
several curious mechanical toys, which the inventor
placed in the halls of the principal hotels near the
grounds. Each consisted of a case having a glass
front through which a miniature scene was visible,
the trees, houses, figures, etc., being neatly painted
and cut out of pasteboard. Over the box was placed
a request for the visitor to drop a five-cent piece at
a slit in the side and witness the performance which
would thereupon take place. When the coin was
inserted, on its passing into a receptacle beneath, it
struck and released a detent; clockwork was thus
allowed to act and the figures were set in motion to
represent a trotting race, fox chase, or some similar
proceeding. The device had places for advertise-
ments; and what with his returns for displaying
them and from the very many five-cent pieces
which entered the till, we were informed that the
enterprising exhibitor cleared quite a large sum of
money."
These were quite successful! While there is no
mention of the nationality of the inventor of the
above pieces, it is quite possible that he was of
English origin. Another automatic machine was
also described in the article, a picture card vending
machine! It utilized gravity as the source of power
and credited Mr. William Alexander Brice, an
Englishman, as the inventor.
European machines from England, Germany,
and France were some years ahead of America in
the development of coin-operated machines, espe-
7
already building "Working Model" and "Set Scene"
SEAMs as early as 1875, and around 1880, George
Lee began a three-generation dynasty that made
SEAMs and various coin-ops, the legacy continuing
into the 1950s. Lee's famous SEAM creations
include "The Guillotine" and "The Haunted
House."
Automatic "gravity powered" machines are the
ultimate automatic machines. Technically not
SEAMs but ingenious none-the-less, they are a
smaller group of automatic coin-ops that utilized
gravity as the means to dispense a product or pay-
out. Examples of a few gravity coin trip vending
machines are the Jennings Mint Vender, the Gravity
Vender Co's Honey Breath Ball and Ball Gum
machines, plus the granddaddy of all coin-op
machines: The Holy Water Vending Machine! (The
weight of the six drachma coins opened a valve to
dispense water.) The "3 for 1" gambling machines,
such as the Jones and others, also utilized gravity
for automatic payouts. Gravity coin-op machines
are the simplest mechanisms ever made in coin-op
machines.
It's apparent that not all stored energy clockwork
motor machines were automatic delivery. My ter-
minology, for this type, called "SEMs," stores
enough energy for only one play and it is the buyer
who stores it and not the operator. The energy is
dissipated with each play and the coin does not trip
the automatic action. These types still have need
for "push, pull, turn, or crank" instructions.
Examples are the Baker Boy gumball vender,
Roovers Fortune Tellers, Mills floor model
Quartoscopes, Auto-Muto, Regina Hexaphone,
Edison and Autophone Phonographs, etc.
Strangely, a few SEAMs have "un-SEAM-ly" com-
panions that are "SEMs." A second version of the
Happy Jap Gum vender (several known) requires
the customer to tum a lever next to his mouth to
release the clockwork power. And there is also a
SEM version of the Birdies Gum vender called the
Singer Birdies ( one known) . It has a push knob on
the front to activate the clockwork motor after
depositing a penny. Both machines look basically
In the Penny Arcade category, the Cail-O-Scope
was very popular and produced in the tens of thou-
sands. At $40 each it was the least expensive drop
card machine in the Caille line (pronounced Cail,
Roger!).
Amazingly, the oldest known American coin-op
machines following the 1839 Penny Papers Tobacco
vending machine, happens to be a group of clock-
work SEAMs. A description appears in Scientific
American Magazine, March 3, 1877 covering inter-
esting developments at the Centennial Exhibition in
Philadelphia. Entitled "A Machine Salesman," it
reads:
"Among the ingenious devices for gathering
small change from visitors to the Centennial were
several curious mechanical toys, which the inventor
placed in the halls of the principal hotels near the
grounds. Each consisted of a case having a glass
front through which a miniature scene was visible,
the trees, houses, figures, etc., being neatly painted
and cut out of pasteboard. Over the box was placed
a request for the visitor to drop a five-cent piece at
a slit in the side and witness the performance which
would thereupon take place. When the coin was
inserted, on its passing into a receptacle beneath, it
struck and released a detent; clockwork was thus
allowed to act and the figures were set in motion to
represent a trotting race, fox chase, or some similar
proceeding. The device had places for advertise-
ments; and what with his returns for displaying
them and from the very many five-cent pieces
which entered the till, we were informed that the
enterprising exhibitor cleared quite a large sum of
money."
These were quite successful! While there is no
mention of the nationality of the inventor of the
above pieces, it is quite possible that he was of
English origin. Another automatic machine was
also described in the article, a picture card vending
machine! It utilized gravity as the source of power
and credited Mr. William Alexander Brice, an
Englishman, as the inventor.
European machines from England, Germany,
and France were some years ahead of America in
the development of coin-operated machines, espe-
7
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).